Chapter 3: The Fastest Man Alive
(Back at the island's arena, Shang Tsung, his bodyguards and the monks have taken their places once again. Notably, Quan Chi now stands by the Grandmaster's throne. The combatants present at the last fight are back again, waiting for the next match. One masked guard catches the eye of Superman. He gasps and receives another vision; this one reveals Lenat running at Baraka. Superman realises the true identity of the guard at once and leaves his place.) * Shang Tsung: Combatants! The next match will now begin! (In a burst of speed, The Flash teleports into the arena floor. Beron gasps in awe, and even Versad looks impressed.) * Shang Tsung: Barry Allen, the speedster of San Francisco! Had a tragic past as a child. Who among you is worthy of this challenge? * The Flash: Where is the Lin Kuei, Sub-Zero? He killed Scorpion's family and clan. I will bring him into justice! (Superman approaches the masked guard.) * Superman: I know it is you, Lenat. The Atlanteans chose Versad to represent your order in this tournament. * Lenat: I am Versad's equal! * Superman: That remains to be seen. * Lenat: Watch and see. (Plasmus promptly walks onto the arena floor.) * Plasmus: I accept the challenge! * Versad: Plasmus? (Shang Tsung looks quite disturbed at this new turn of events. Plasmus faces The Flash.) * Plasmus: Never mind the Lin Kuei. Now you face a clay monster. (Plasmus looms over The Scarlet Speedster.) * The Flash: You will regret your impulsiveness. (They fight. The Flash defeats Plasmus.) You are not yet a warrior. * Versad: Plasmus! (Versad rushes to the aid of Plasmus. Superman walks over and begins to admonish Plasmus.) * Superman: Listen when your elders speak! You could not win this fight. (He assists Versad in helping Plasmus to his feet. Barry watches the exchange without emotion, then turns to face Shang Tsung.) * The Flash: I have defeated the challenger, Shang Tsung. I demand Sub-Zero! (Raiden gets another vision at that moment; first of Scorpion holding Sub-Zero's removed head along with his spinal cord, then the head morphs into the visage of the wraith Noob Saibot.) * Shang Tsung: You will demand nothing! Cinderblock! (Cinderblock walks over to Barry and addresses him.) * Cinderblock: Your aggression is misplaced. * The Flash: What do you know of my pa-- * Cinderblock: You are not the only one whose people have been victimised. But I have found new purpose in serving the Spirits. I do not cling to the past. * The Flash: You no longer seek retribution? You dishonour your kind. I will honour the memory of my fallen. (They fight. The Flash defeats Cinderblock.) The spirits have forsaken you, Cinderblock. * Shang Tsung: An impressive start! (Barry clenches a fist at Shang Tsung.) * The Flash: You waste my time, sorcerer! (Lipra holds up his hand.) * Lipra: Restraint, Barry. (Although not pleased about it, Barry acknowledges the order and his hand returns to normal.) * Shang Tsung: You will fight Sub-Zero soon enough. (He stands up and takes his leave, with Quan Chi following. As Barry lowers his head and ponders recent events, Superman attracts his attention.) * Superman: Barry, I understand your desire for revenge. But Linmis is right. There are other ways in which you may find peace. * The Flash: Zod deserves death. * Superman: Defeat Sub-Zero if you must, but do not kill him. I fear his death will give rise to a more treacherous foe. * The Flash: I will have my revenge! * Superman: Spare Sub-Zero's life and I will request that the Elder Gods return the Shirai Ryu to the realm of mortals. (Barry takes a few moments to contemplate this new turn of events. He eventually looks Superman in the eyes and nods his consent. Superman nods back and walks off with Versad and Lenat, leaving the spectre alone. Sometime later, the door to Shang Tsung's throne room is opened and Barry walks in. Several combatants are milling around discussing things with one another. Two of those combatants are Cyrax and Sektor of the Lin Kuei.) * Cyrax: I understand there are benefits to the Grand Master's plan, but his plan goes against Lin Kuei principles. * Sektor: We are Lin Kuei, Cyrax. We will obey the Grand Master's commands. * Cyrax: It means giving up our free will... our souls. It will turn us into-- (Sektor stops him as Barry approaches them.) * Sektor: Barry. * Cyrax: Your inferior clan is dead. Soon you will join them. * The Flash: My clan may walk the Earth once more. (Cyrax pushes him back in response. Shang Tsung immediately spots this.) * Shang Tsung: A challenge! The Flash vs. Cyrax and Sektor! * Cyrax: Your obsession with Sub-Zero ends here. (They fight, but Barry defeats Cyrax and Sektor quickly.) * The Flash: I will have my revenge, but I will not kill Sub-Zero. (As Superman nods his approval, a new voice attracts everyone's attention.) * Sub-Zero: Will not? Or cannot? (Sub-Zero walks into the room.) * The Flash: Sub-Zero. (Sub-Zero and Scorpion walk up to one another.) * Scorpion: The Shirai Ryu are dead. You will suffer as they did. * Sub-Zero: To hell with your clan! * Scorpion: (from behind) No, to Hell with YOU! (He grabs Sub-Zero and they both disappear in a flash of hellfire, along with Barry, who intervenes. They reappear in a place filled with fire, burning bodies and malicious architecture.) * Sub-Zero: The Netherrealm. * The Flash: This is where I was reborn. This is where you will pay! (They fight. The Flash defeats Sub-Zero.) * Scorpion: I have avenged my family and clan. (Quan Chi teleports into the realm.) * Quan Chi: This is your retribution? Scorpion, kill him. * The Flash: I... I will not. He has been beaten. * Quan Chi: Have you forgotten? (Quan Chi magically creates a visage of the homeland of the Shirai Ryu.) * The Flash: What is this? (The entire village is in flames. Shirai Ryu clansmen are cut down by a hail of arrows.) * The Flash: No... (Another is decapitated by a Lin Kuei assassin. Yet more are run through by katanas from horseback riders and by arrows from archer marksmen. Among the horse riders is Sub-Zero.) * Quan Chi: Your clan. Your family. (Another vision is magically created by the sorcerer. It shows Scorpion's wife and infant son huddled in a corner of their home. The door opens to reveal Sub-Zero, katana in hand. He unsheathes it, and unmoved by the wife's tears, brings the blade down. All that is seen is a blood splattering the walls, along with the petals of a rose worn in his wife's hair. The implications are all too obvious.) * The Flash: NO! (The vision fades. Sub-Zero, badly wounded as he is, is on his feet and holding a hand up in mercy.) * Sub-Zero: That is not me! (Scorpion rips his mask off his head. All that is present is a skull enwrapped in flames. The scene immediately cuts to black. Back in the throne room of Shang Tsung, The Flash and Scorpion reappear. Shang Tsung smiles in anticipation. Wordlessly, Scorpion holds up a scorched skull with the spinal cord attached.) * Beron: Ouch. (His head hung in either sorrow or despair, Scorpion lets the skull shatter on the ground. With a loud scream, he bursts into flame and disappears. As the combatants leave, Superman looks over the skull alongside his cousin, Supergirl.) * Superman: Despite my efforts, my vision has come to pass. An unfortunate end. The Flash once defended Earthrealm from the Netherrealm armies of Shinnok and Quan Chi. * Supergirl: Scorpion will pay for this! * Superman: Sub-Zero's fate is his own doing. * Supergirl: His own doing?! * Superman: The Lin Kuei have a history of making ruinous choices. (Supergirl glares at her cousin and begins to storm off, but Clark's next words stop her short.) * Superman: Such as the Cyber Initiative. (Supergirl turns back around to face him.) * Supergirl: I am among those speaking out against Jor-El's plan. Surgically transform the Lin Kuei into glorified robots? It kills our intuition, our instincts. * Superman: Did you speak out against the Lin Kuei's participation in this tournament? * Supergirl: We were invited by Shang Tsung. * Superman: He pays you to kill Earthrealm warriors. Betraying your own realm? I expect better, even from a Kryptonian. * Supergirl: My loyalty is to Jor-El. (She tries to walk off again, but Superman stops her once more.) * Superman: Victory for Shang Tsung means the end of Earth and the Lin Kuei. (Supergirl pauses for a moment, but still walks off. Baraka, who has watched the whole exchange, snarls ominously and also leaves.) 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